Spill The Beans

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Our Christmas Tree

What delights me most about the holiday season is that people are more open to giving, and sharing, and actively thinking about how to spread more joy. There is no better feeling, for sure.

Our tree is filled with memories and home made items that the children and I have made. Can there be any more love than this?

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Settle in with a good book...

AWAKENED by Brenda Davies traumatized by her past, and struggling to move on from it, Sera has spent the past three years of college hiding herself from the world. Will love be enough to save her?.
DISCOVERING YOU by Melissa Kean When Lucy Howard goes to Daleford Manor to work for the mysterious and secretive Nicholas Davenport, an instant attraction flares to life between them. But when his past merges with his present, danger threatens to tear them apart.
MY SISTER'S KEEPER by Bill Benners is a riveting suspense thriller that explores the special bond between a brother and sister.
NIGHT ROAD by Kristin Hannah For eighteen years, Jude Farraday has put her childrens needs above her own, and it shows her twins, Mia and Zach are bright and happy teenagers. When Lexi Baill moves into their small, close knit community, no one is more welcoming than Jude. This is a luminous, heartbreaking novel that captures both the exquisite pain of loss and the stunning power of hope.
THE COLOR OF HEAVEN by Julianne MacLean A box of tissues should be included. Full of surprising twists and turns and a near-death experience that will leave you breathless.
THE GHOST AND THE GRAVEYARD by Genevieve Jack Grateful Knight isn't looking for love when she moves into a rent free house on the edge of a graveyard. At twenty two all she wants is to recover financially so she can move back to the city where she belongs.
THE INITIATION by L.J. Smith This book follows the story of Cassie Blake who lives with her mom. They had been living in California but after taking a vacation to Cape Cod, they end up moving in with Cassie's grandmother who is getting older and in need of assistance. What a great book.
THE LEVELER by Janes McLaughlin When our world suddenly crumbles apart we are faced with multiple options. We can choose to accept responsibility for our own failures, change what needs to be changed, pick up the pieces and start all over again. Or, we can choose to hold everyone else responsible for our failures and seek revenge. The Leveler is a failed man who chooses not to accept personal responsibility for the way his life has turned out.
THE MAY DAY MURDERER by Scott Wittenburg is a murder mystery you will want to read. My second book read on my nook. I love my nook. I can have all the books I want to read for free. You have got to have one.
TIME WITHOUT END by Linda Lael Miller.When he lost his beloved Brenna, the vampire Valerian surrendered his soul to the night. Thoroughly entriging!

Taste This (A Collection of Recipes)

Spicy Wine Pot Roast
3 to 4 pound beef pot roast
salt and pepper
1 small onion, chopped
1 pkg. brown gravy mix
1 cup water
1/4 cup catsup
1/4 cup dry red wine
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 clove of garlic

Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper; place in crock pot. Combine remaining ingredients; pour over meat. Cover and cook on low 8 to 10 hours. Remove meat and slice. If desired, thicken sauce with flour dissolved in a small amount of water, and serve over meat.

Brown Oatmeal Bread
2 cups rolled oats
2 tsp. salt
1 tab. brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 tab. shortening
2 cups boiling water
1 pkg. yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 tsp. sugar
4-1/2 cups flour

Combine oats, salt, brown sugar, molasses and shortening; pour boiling water over mixture. Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. When rolled oats mixture is cool, add the yeast and flour. Mix and knead well and let rise for 2 hours. Put into bread pans and let rise again. Bake in over 350 degrees until done.

Chicken Merlot with Mushrooms

2 1/2 to 3 pounds chicken pieces skinned
3 cups sliced mushrooms
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 6oz. can tomato paste
1/4 cup dry red wine
2 tab. quick cooking tapioca
2 tab. snipped basil
2 cups hot cooked noodles
2 tab shredded Parmesan cheese

Rinse chicken; set aside. In a 5 quart crockery cooker place mushrooms, onion and garlic.Plaace chicken pieces on top of the vegetables. In a bowl combine broth,tomato paste, wine,tapioca, dried basil salt and pepper. Pour over all. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours. To serve, spoon chicken mushroom mixture, and sauce over hot cooked noodles. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Isaiah 46:4

I will be your God throughout your life time, until your hair is white with age. I made you and I will care for you, I will carry you along and save you.

Hawaiian Chicken
4 to 6 chicken breasts

Marinade:

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup dry sherry
1-1/2 cups unsweetened pineapple juice
1/4 cup red wine
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 clove of garlic

Combine all ingredients, and marinate chicken overnight. Remove and grill, saute, or bake. Baste with marinade only during the first sereral minutes of cooking. Top each breast with a slice of provolone and broil until cheese starts to melt.

Lemon Coconut Tea Cake

1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 1/4 organic sugar
3 large eggs
2 tsp grated lemon zest
2 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup shredded coconut

Glaze
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 cup confectioners sugar
1 tab. butter, softened

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Grease and flour loaf pan.

Take flour, baking powder, and salt, put in bowl, whisk together the yogurt, sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With rubber spatula, fold the oil into the batter making sure it's all incorporated. Fold in the cocont. Bake for 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of loaf comes out clean.

Have a sweet day!

Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 sticks of butter softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tab. vanilla
3 1/2 cups flour
1 teas. salt
1 teas. soda
10oz. bag chocolate chips
1 bag Oreo Cookies, I use double stuff

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Beat with electric mixer butter and sugars until well combined. Add in eggs and vanilla until well blended. In a separate bowl mix the flour, salt and baking soda. Slowly add to wet ingredients along with cocolate chips until just combined. Using a cookie scoop take one scoop of cookie dough and place on top of an Oreo Cookie. Take another scoop of dough and place on bottom of Oreo Cookie. Seal edges together by pressing and cupping in hand until Oreo Cookie is enclosed with dough. Place on cookie sheet and bake for 9-13 minutes. Serve with a tall glass of milk.

Gardening

Winter

The garden has been put to bed for the winter, but things are still happening. Garlic has been planted. With the onset of the cold of winter growth is fairly slow until temperatures warm in spring. The cold of the winter is needed to initiate the side buds that will ultimatelly grow and swell to become cloves. I will talk about harvesting and storage later.

It is June 22nd today and the garlic is looking great. I am preparing to dig it up and store it in the garage for several weeks till it drys. Then it will be ready for use in spaghetti sauce, salads, salsa or just eating by the clove. Garlic is very good for you. A heart healty herb.

Close your eyes for a minute and imagine what your dream garden would look like. Don't let reality intrude -forget about frustrating limitations like poor soil, and uncooperative weather. Let your mind wander and put together the garden you've always longed for. There is a way to make this dream come to life in your own backyard.

We live in an area where it is quite flat and the water seems to settle on top of the ground. I have decided to cover the garden this year with plastic. It will kill the weeds and hopefully will keep the ground from getting too water logged.

Today I have my seed catalogs spread on the kitchen table and I am deciding which variety and amounts of seeds I am going to order this year. I am taking inventory of what I have from last year and filling in the gaps. It is truly an exciting time for me as I love to garden and I am awaiting to feel the soil with my fingers. Only a true gardener knows what this feels like. It makes you one with this earth and gives you peace and tranquility.

Let's get started talking about vegetables to be planted. Nothing beats the taste of freshly harvested crops. Crisp lettuce straight from the ground, plums still warm from the sun, the scent of fresh thyme - these are the delights and rewards of the home gardener.

Your own fruit, vegetables and herbs not only taste better and cost less than any you can buy - their food value is greater too. The vitamin content of many crops deteriorates rapidly once they are harvested, so that much of their goodness is lost on the journey from the farm to the kitchen.

I have been gardening now for thirty years and I am still learning. Try to get hold of a good book that supplys you with all the information that you need to grow a successful garden. I would recommend Home Growing by Edwin F. Steffek. You will find your questions answered and your enthusiasm roused.

Let's start with lettuce. Lettuce perfers a moist but well - drained soil. Sewing outdoors can start in early spring with the first of a succession of sowing every two weeks maintaining a supply as long as possible. I will start sowing my lettuce in middle march with leaf and head varieties.

Peas are the next vegetable that I grow. I grow the bush pea and perfer the laxton progress variety. It is an early pea with pods of five to six peas. I freeze the peas for soup for the winter and to eat fresh. I taste test in the garden too. A fresh pea taste just like candy with its high sugar content.

I will leave you with this information to absorb and will talk later about potato and carrot planting.
If you have any questions or feedback please post a comment.

More Vegetables, Please!

Is there a vegetable boycott in effect in your family?

You'll find that even finicky eaters are suprisingly easy to reform with these Tips:

. making vegetables taste good with seasoning and sauces

. adding vegetables to your family's favorite dish

. changing your vegetable choices with the seasons

. encourage the whole family to get excited about food and

nutrition.

Hope this helps. With winter in progress we need to have our leafy greens and our beets on the table.

Herb Gardening Indoors

Many herb plants can be easily grown indoors, in a sunny windowsill or under lights. You can have a herb garden throughout the winter, with fresh herbs to cook with, in your kitchen. Herbs will grow in containers with minimal care.

Freezing is a quick and easy way to preserve fresh garden herbs. We usually think 0f drying herbs to keep them, but many herbs, like basil, mint and chives don't dry easily. Freezing these herbs will preserve their garden fresh flavor for months. For air drying I put my herbs in a brown paper bag and keep them in a warm dry dark place like a garage or shed. Check them each week to see if they are crumbly and drying. I love to smell fresh herbs and they add such a wonderful flavor to many dishes that I cook.
Companion Planting

There is no rule that says vegetables and flowers can't mix. In fact, the vegetable garden will benefit greatly from the addition of some flowers and herbs. It's not just esthetics that make flowers and herbs welcome in the vegetable garden. Companion Planting offers several beneficial features that can protect your vegetables from insect pests and even make them more productive.
Blue Birds
Hello fellow gardeners! I know you are anxious for the growing season to begin anew. Spring weaather will bring about a peak of daffodils, forsythia and the iris in bloom. But today I want to talk about bluebirds. I have two nesting bottles in my yard. Bluebirds have rather peculiar nesting habits. Unlike most birds, which are content to face the elements from an open nest, bluebirds will only complete their nesting cycle if they have a roof over their heads. Few sights in nature are more beautiful to the eye than the flash of its iridescent blue, few sounds to the ear more delightful than its soft, melodious wable. The females wear a more muted attire than the males, showing bright blue in their wing and tail feathers only when they fly. Bluebirds make ideal tenants-their needs are fairly simple. I am having a problem with feeding them though. I bought the nuggets that they supposedly love and given them grape jelly but neither one has worked for me. If you have any ideas I would love to hear them.

Be back soon!

Spill The Beans

Saturday, December 12, 2009

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